By Kirsty Moran.
Help! I need to choose a Wedding Photographer!
So you’ve booked your dream wedding venue, maybe had a celebratory drink, a little rest and now you’re ready to commence the fun wedding planning!
If you read November’s blog we recommend your first priority be looking at photographers for your big day. Your photos are the thing that helps you reflect back on your day and great photos will help you remember the way you felt, the way your guests felt and bring back all of those exciting and happy memories, so it is kind of an important one that you find the right photographer for you!
As a wedding planner, I start by asking couples what style of photography they would like …… this usually brings back blank faces! So here I try to help you in finding THE ONE for that oh so special job……
Start with Style
All of the Suppliers we recommend at Bespoke Weddings are accredited by the WVSA, which means they operate to the highest standards, and most are also preferred suppliers of our Venues!
We have a wide range of photography styles and photographers to choose from: http://wvsa.org.uk/wvsa-accredited-wedding-suppliers/
Photographers will have wedding portfolios showcasing REAL weddings so I suggest to start by looking through their websites, noting down which ones you like the look of, any that stand out to you or make you smile as you’re looking at the weddings they’ve captured.
Here are some of the different styles by our WVSA suppliers and how they describe their style to give you an idea:
Matt Selby – Creative wow shots but the majority of your day will be candid
Field Photographic – Documentary style photographs with a good mixture of ‘official’ shots
Elen Studio Photography – Artistic yet oozing with warmth and personality
Hopefully you end up with a nice list and likelihood is they are pretty similar in style.
How Long?
Think about what parts of your day you want captured by the camera. Usually a package starts from the bridal preparations and can go up to your first dance. However, not everyone wants this amount of coverage and instead you may want them to capture your ceremony and then couple shots and family and friends and leave before your wedding breakfast. Something like this also changes the price for your photographer as the longer you book them for, naturally, the higher the cost.
If you’ve booked through Bespoke Weddings, speak to your Bespoke Wedding Planner to gather the suppliers exclusive packages and prices and to also check availability for your day.
If not, you can check in directly with the supplier usually through email or a phone call.
This should hopefully help you narrow down that list a little bit more if some are out of your price range or not available for your date.
The Decider; Who do you Like?
You’re almost there now with a small list and to be fair, you may be happy with any one of them for your day, so how do you get down to one?
No-one wants forced smiles and to feel awkward, so I suggest seeing who you feel comfortable with?
Check testimonials and read their ‘About me’ sections on their websites. Most photographers will tell you a little bit about themselves and you may find you warm to some more than others.
For example, Matt from Field Photographic’s intro instantly makes me feel at ease: https://fieldphotographic.com/weddings/
And Barney from BGS Weddings makes me chuckle throughout his, so I feel he would make me smile on the day: https://bgsweddings.co.uk/about/ , but of course, that’s my opinion!
Photographers will usually then offer either a phone conversation or a meeting so you can see if you feel comfortable with them and, quite simply, get on, which usually leaves you feeling happy and confident you have found the perfect photographer for your day!
Good luck and remember your Bespoke Wedding Planner is here to help! 😊
Kirsty x
For more help check out Matt Selby’s (professional photographer) top 10 tips on choosing a photographer:
https://www.mattselbyphotography.co.uk/choosing-your-perfect-wedding-photographer/